The family thinks they found the remains of George Carroll, who vanished in 1961; a DNA test has to be performed

After years of speculation -- and months of digging in their basement -- a family unearths what they think are the long-lost remains of a family patriarch who disappeared more than 50 years ago.

No, it's not the plot of a ghastly blockbuster. Police say it's a very real discovery made by the Carroll family on Long Island this Halloween.

Authorities say they got a call from the Lake Grove family around 2 p.m. Wednesday. When officers arrived at the home on Olive Street, homeowner Michael Carroll met them to report human remains in the basement.